The European Parliament,

–   having regard to its previous resolutions on Iran, notably that of 13 October 2005(1),

–   having regard to the Conclusions of the General Affairs Council of 7 November 2005,

–   having regard to its previous resolutions on the Middle East, notably those of 23 October 2003(2) and 27 January 2005(3),

–   having regard to Rule 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.   whereas, on Wednesday, 26 October 2005 at a conference in Tehran entitled 'The World without Zionism', the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, referred to Iran's late revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and stated that Israel must be 'wiped off the map',

B.   whereas the international community immediately strongly rejected such calls for violence and the destruction of any State,

C.   whereas, within Iran too, notably on the part of persons such as former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, there has been criticism of the statements of President Ahmadinejad,

D.   whereas Iran is involved in negotiations with the EU on the basis of a proposed Comprehensive Dialogue which includes sensitive issues such as the nuclear programme, fighting international terrorism, economic cooperation and human rights,

1.  Condemns the statements of the Iranian President on the State of Israel, strongly rejects any calls for the destruction of a State which is part of the international community and calls upon the Iranian President to fully retract his bellicose statement;

2.  Calls on the Government of Iran to meet its international obligations under Article 2 of the United Nations Charter and to refrain in its international relations from threatening or using force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, and from acting in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations;

3.  Expresses its concern about the possible consequences of this kind of statement in a region which is still confronted with violence, terrorist attacks and fundamentalist extremist calls for action;

4.  Reaffirms its unalterable commitment to Israel's right to existence within internationally recognised borders and in security, side by side with an independent and viable Palestinian State;

5.  Calls upon Iran to recognise the State of Israel and its right to live in peace and security, and to use its influence in the Middle East to persuade movements with which it maintains relations to refrain from the use of violence;

6.  Expresses its solidarity with the people and the State of Israel and reiterates its determination to seek a two-State solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of the Roadmap process led by the Quartet (UN, EU, Russia and United States of America);

7.  Welcomes the highly critical reactions of the international community, fully supports the United Nations Security Council declaration condemning the statement by the Iranian President and supports the United Nations Secretary-General's reminding Iran of its obligations under the United Nations Charter;

8.  Welcomes as an example the statement by the Central Council of Muslims in Germany that every nation has to respect international law and the rights of other States and welcomes the reaction of worldwide public opinion, in particular people of Iranian origin, who have demonstrated their outrage at the Iranian President's statements;

9.  Welcomes the position of several senior Palestinian officials and representatives in condemning President Ahmadinejad's view and in favour of the peaceful coexistence of a Palestinian and an Israeli State;

10.  Underlines that the statements by President Ahmadinejad cause concern about Iran's role in the region and its future intentions; in this context, calls on Iran to refrain from any support for international terrorist groups;

11.  Reiterates its call on the Iranian authorities to play a proactive and positive role in the broader region of the Middle East and considers in this context that an agreement on the nuclear issue should encourage all parties concerned to promote security and peace for all people;

12.  Calls on the Council and the Commission to act in line with the conclusions of the General Affairs Council of 7 November 2005 and Parliament's resolution of 13 October 2005 in order to reach a diplomatic solution to the concerns over Iran's nuclear programme and to maintain this position in any further developments of the Comprehensive Dialogue;

13.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the governments and parliaments of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel, the Director General of the IAEA and the UN Secretary-General.

(1) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2005)0382. (2) OJ C 82 E, 1.4.2004, p. 610. (3) OJ C 253 E, 13.10.2005, p. 35.